Consider the timing for punter Chris Kluwe. Two days after he started fielding questions about whether the Vikings would cut him because of his advocacy for causes, most notably same-sex marriage, Jason Collins credited him for making it easier to come out as an openly gay athlete.

Collins, an NBA center and former Timberwolves player, revealed in a letter Sports Illustrated published Monday, April 29, that he is gay, becoming the first active professional athlete in one of the four major-league men's team sports to go public with his homosexuality. In that letter, he thanked Kluwe and former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo -- the latter of whom was released by the team after last season -- for helping change the climate in pro sports.

"I'm impressed with the straight pro athletes who have spoken up so far -- Chris Kluwe, Brendon Ayanbadejo," Collins wrote. "The more people who speak out, the better, gay or straight."

And in an email response to the Pioneer Press, Kluwe congratulated Collins, saying, "I'm really happy for him that he's finally able to live his life as the person he is. No one should have to hide a core part of themselves."

Kluwe, however, is wondering how much longer he'll have a job with the Vikings -- and whether speaking out on causes will have anything to do with the decision.

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The Vikings drafted UCLA's Jeff Locke in the fifth round Saturday, making him the highest-drafted punter in team history. General manager Rick Spielman said drafting Locke was "a normal personnel move," adding he has "no issues if Chris Kluwe wants to express his opinion. That's his right. That's his freedom of speech."

Kluwe, though, texted Pro Football Talk over the weekend, "It's a shame that in a league with players given multiple second chances after arrests, including felony arrests, that speaking out on human rights has a chance of getting you cut."

When asked by the Pioneer Press on Monday if he believed the Vikings would release him because of his advocacy for same-sex marriage, Kluwe responded in an email, "I don't know if that's the reasoning behind if I get cut, but it would be a shame if it was. I think my body of work speaks for itself."

As he pointed out over the weekend, Kluwe is statistically the best punter in Vikings history. He has averaged 44.4 yards per punt in his eight seasons -- the best average in team history by more than half a yard -- and would need about half a season to eclipse Greg Coleman's team record for total punting yards. In 2012, Kluwe's 39.7-yard net average was the best of his career.

Washington center Jason Collins pulls down a rebound against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on April 17, 2013, in Chicago. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

His willingness to speak out on other issues, though, brought him national attention and certainly was noticed by the Vikings.

Kluwe campaigned actively against a proposed Minnesota constitutional amendment that would have defined marriage as between one man and one woman, an amendment that was defeated. He also stumped for former Raiders punter Ray Guy to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, after which Vikings special-teams coach Mike Priefer said he wished Kluwe would focus on his duties punting and holding for extra points and field goals.

"I don't even want to talk about that," Priefer said Dec. 13. "Those distractions are getting old for me, to be quite honest with you. Do I think Ray Guy deserves to be in the Hall of Fame? Absolutely. But there's other ways of going about doing it, in my opinion."

Kluwe said Saturday that the Vikings have not talked to him about his outspokenness, and when he was asked about it in December, Priefer said he hadn't discussed it with Kluwe, adding, "He doesn't listen."

Kluwe is due to make $1.45 million in 2013, the final year of his contract, but the Vikings would face no salary cap penalties if they chose to cut him. They drafted kicker Blair Walsh last April, cut veteran kicker Ryan Longwell after Walsh performed well in the team's rookie camp last May, and watched Walsh go on to make the Pro Bowl.

Spielman said Locke was the top-rated punter on the team's draft board, and said Saturday the Vikings plan to have open competition at the position, though he would not comment on whether the team might cut Kluwe before training camp.